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3 online date sites agree to screen for predators

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three leading online dating sites have agreed to screen for sex offenders and take other measures to protect their members after a Southern California woman was assaulted on a date.

California's attorney general on Tuesday announced the agreement with Match.com, eHarmony and Spark Networks.

She says the companies signed a joint statement of principles that include checking subscribers against national sex offender registries, providing a rapid way to report abuses and providing members with safety tips.

The statement is non-binding but the companies say they hope it will set an example for other dating sites.

Attorney general's spokeswoman Lynda Gledhill says the agreement was inspired by the case of a woman who was assaulted in 2010 by a man she met through Match.com. Alan Wurtzel had previous sexual battery convictions.